Ted's Teepee
by LoaTurtle00
Summary: Theodore shares his teepee retreat with Eleanor while feeling left-out of other family activities. Age-wise they are 9. Originally written as one story, but as it got longer, ended up breaking it into 4 chapters.
1. Sweet Retreat

**Ted's Teepee**

 **About This Story:** Theodore shares his teepee retreat with Eleanor while feeling left-out of other family activities. Age-wise they are 9. I don't own any part of the Chipmunk franchise, just borrowing them from Nickelodeon, Janice Karman,  & Ross Bagdasarian, their family, & their company.

 **About This Chapter:** Rated G/PG, some fart jokes, sibling prank humor, friendship moments

 **Pairings:** Theodore/Eleanor

* * *

 **Sweet Retreat**

" _Despite her small size, and her status as the youngest in our family, she doesn't let that stop her spunkiness. She has a way of caring for everyone, almost like a mom. And she sees the positive in everything, and the good in everyone. She is probably the sweetest person I know, and one of my best friends in the entire world! She even gives awesome hugs!_ "

Theodore smiled to himself as he wrote this on the most recent page of his blank notebook he used as a journal, as well as for writing poetry and drawing little sketches. He smiled looking around himself at the dark blue conical walls of the teepee in the chipmunks' bedroom that he was using as a retreat. A lantern for extra light hung from a string in the middle of the ceiling of it, making it easier to pretend he was camping out in the woods. Just being here made him forget about how his older brothers were downstairs playing some zombie video game without him - well, almost. But for the most part it sure helped him escape from his loneliness and his feelings of being left-out.

"Theo? Are you in here?" A comforting voice could be heard entering the bedroom, as well as some footsteps.

"I'm in here, Eleanor. Just a minute..." Theodore put his journal in a tote bag, then started unclipping a few of the clothespins that held the teepee's entrance shut.

Once he moved the flaps enough to see her, he said, "Sorry, I didn't realize we had company. Did you come from downstairs?"

"Yeah, I came through the front door with my sisters." She answered. "We were just gonna hang out downstairs with you guys for a while. Alvin and Simon were playing video games, Britt and Jeanette were watching or cheering for them, or gonna play winner, I don't know. Anyway, I asked where you were, and Simon said you might be up here in your bedroom." Glancing into the teepee, she added, "Nice teepee! Whatcha doing in there, anyway?"

Theodore shrugged. "Just hangin' out. I like to come here when my brothers are busy doing other stuff. If you wanna come in, I'll show you around."

"What? Really?" She looked over the teepee in surprise. "Are you sure it's big enough for two of us?"

He scooted over to one side and patted an empty spot on the floor to his right, as if inviting her to sit. "Oh, yes. I have been in here together with both of my brothers, before." He laughed. "One time Simon said he wanted to do a 'scientific experiment' to see how many chipmunks could fit. I could fit in here with both Simon and Alvin, plus about seventeen or so stuffed chipmunk dolls or other stuffed animals stacked on top of us."

Eleanor giggled as she entered the teepee and sat in the empty spot. "Sounds like fun!"

Theodore continued as he started putting the clothespins back in place to close the teepee flaps. "We were smaller back then, though. I think we were about six when we did that. It really felt like we were bonding for a while. The only thing that wasn't fun was that I was almost suffocating near the bottom of the pile. In fact, it was all fun and games until somebody farted. Pretty sure it was Alvin, but of course he blamed me. I was like, 'Are you kidding? I can hardly breathe as it is down here!' I remember screaming for everyone to get off of me, and thankfully they did. Simon and I were all pushing Alvin out of the room and opening windows so we could breathe."

She placed her left hand on his wrist as he was about to fasten the last clothespin in place. "In light of that story, are you sure you want to seal us in here?" She giggled.

He laughed. "I guess I could leave that one open." Instead, he fastened the clothespin on only one side of the flap, leaving a four-inch opening. "I don't know why I even told you that story, I mean, I doubt girls can relate to it. Sorry if I grossed you out or anything."

"Really, Theodore?" She giggled. "You think girls don't fart? I mean, Jeanette and I figured out that Brittany has a terminal case of gas now and then. But there's no warning when she releases it, it's like a 'silent-but-deadly'. Ugh!"

"Brittany has that problem?" Theodore asked.

"Why else do you think she wears so much perfume?" Eleanor laughed. "Of course she blames me most of the time, Jeanette if she's closer. She's also the reason we had to keep a stash of gluten-free food on hand." In a sing-song voice, she added. "All that gluten keeps her a-tootin'."

They both shared a laugh. Theodore thought to himself, " _She's the coolest! I can even share fart jokes with her, and she finds it more funny than disgusting. I'll have to add that to the journal entry about her, later._ "

He assured her, "But don't worry, this teepee has been aired out long since Alvin 'condemned' it."

"Good to hear!" She nodded as she glanced around. "This teepee is actually roomier on the inside than it looks from the outside. And you have a lantern hanging for extra light. Nice!"

"Thanks! I'm glad you like it, Ellie." He smiled bashfully. "You know, I come in here a lot when my brothers do guy stuff and leave me out."

"Awww..." She patted his shoulder sympathetically. "I know how that feels, sometimes. My sisters do some girl stuff together and they leave me out. I don't know if it's because they think I'm too young to understand, or if they think I'm too much of a tomboy to appreciate whatever they're doing. I try to think they aren't excluding me on purpose, just to give them the benefit of the doubt. Sometimes I do stuff with Jeanette, or with Brittany, and the other sister feels left out. Jeanette says it's a common 'side-effect' that happens with groups of three - that someone can feel like the third wheel, if not careful. Usually, I'll go cook something in the kitchen, or sew, or clean to keep my mind out of the gutter when I feel like the third wheel."

"Awww!" He glanced over at her to return the sympathy. "Now it's kind of sad to think that your house is so clean, and that you have a lot of clothes - some that you make for us - and that we have so many leftovers."

"I learn to live with it." She shrugged. "I don't feel as bad about having 'alone time' anymore. I kind of like it and look forward to it. I guess you could say I even _need_ it."

"True." Theodore nodded. "If I'm not cooking something in the kitchen, I like to come in here and do something creative." He turned around to retrieve the small tote bag. "Check it out - I have books to read, mostly cookbooks and culinary magazines, then some coloring books, and crayons and colored pencils..."

"What's this?" Eleanor picked up the journal, opening the hardcover to see the title page. " _This book belongs to..._ " She read what was printed in a tan color by the company that made the blank journal. Then she read what was written in green ink, " _...TJS._ " She glanced over at Theodore.

At first, Theodore was a little embarrassed that she had discovered the journal, but was afraid that if he made a big deal about it, that she would only want to read it more. "Yeah, I use that for writing stuff like poetry, potential song ideas, and stuff, as well as drawing."

"Cool!" She smiled. "So, you have a creative streak, Theodore...something that starts with a 'J'...Seville. Funny that it never dawned on me before to ask your middle name."

He chuckled shyly. "Yeah, my middle name is Jameson."

"Oh..." She nodded, "Theodore _Jameson_ Seville. I like that."

He went on to explain, "Since Dave didn't get to pick our first names - to this day I don't really know who did - our birth parents who were chipmunks? I don't know, I've just always been 'Theodore' as long as I can remember... Anyway, since Dave knows he didn't pick our first names, when he adopted us and we became Sevilles, he passed on some other family names to us. He said that Jameson was his mother's maiden name."

"Wow..." She smiled, "That's quite an honor. Do Simon and Alvin have middle names? I can't believe we haven't heard Dave mention at least Alvin's middle name by now. Especially when Dave yells at him so much. We hear him say, 'ALVIN!' But it's funny we never hear, 'Alvin...Something...Seville!' Oh, I do hope his middle name doesn't start with an 'S', since that would give him some very unfortunate - but sometimes very fitting - initials."

Theodore laughed. "Don't worry, I think Dave already thought of that." He quickly peered outside the hole in the teepee entrance. "Good, no one else around. Alvin doesn't really want me to tell people his middle name, even though it's nothing embarrassing, and it doesn't start with an 'S'. But he's kinda superstitious about it, and thinks that if someone can say his full name, like three times in a row, it'll make him disappear or melt or something - you know, like in 'Beetlejuice', that movie I can't even watch without you, except for that one dinner scene that's pretty funny."

Eleanor laughed. "Who or what would make Alvin think that?"

Theodore had a smug expression on his face. "I did, of course. It was the best way I could get back at him for telling me that I would turn into a dog for accidentally eating dog biscuits, or for him telling Dave that it was me having 'accidents' in the kitchen while we tried to hide a puppy in the house who wasn't house-trained yet."

Eleanor's jaw dropped, and she playfully slapped Theodore's arm while laughing. "Why, Theodore! I didn't know you had it in you. And I didn't know Alvin would actually believe you."

He beamed. "Well, I got Simon in on it to make it even more convincing. He brought out some papers with a bunch of random math calculations, telling Alvin he had been running some calculations, and that he could prove scientifically that it could happen. Of course, Alvin's not gonna look through sheets with math stuff on it, he'll just take Simon's word for it. I later asked Simon what those calculations really were, and he said it was for some small-scale model rocket he was building in the basement. He was glad I made him part of this joke, since he likes to get Alvin back for pranking us and 'preying on my gullible nature'."

"That's awesome!" Eleanor laughed. "I've often wondered how you can put up with having Alvin as a brother."

Theodore smiled. "If it weren't for Simon, I know Alvin would drive me crazy. But come to think of it, if it weren't for Alvin, I think Simon and I would drive each other crazy. It rarely happens, only when Alvin's not around, but it does happen. I admire how you can put up with Brittany as a sister. She's usually nice to me, but I can see how it takes a certain kind of person to enjoy living with her."

"Yeah, I'm sure if it weren't for Jeanette as our go-between, Brittany and I would tear each other to pieces. But when Brittany isn't around, Jeanette and I can get on each other's nerves if left to ourselves long enough, and it only seems to happen in Brittany's absence, when we have no other witnesses. I honestly don't know how that happens, since she's so quiet, easy-going, and sweet. I guess it just shows how annoying I can be." She shrugged and added a wink.

"I can't imagine how you'd do it, either." Theodore smiled. "I mean, I'm having a great time with you right now!"

"Me too!" She nodded. "With you!"

* * *

 **A/N:** Some "credits" for this chapter: Theodore's middle name is Jameson,  & that is mentioned in the 2015 Nick cartoon series in episodes (so far) "Lil' T" & "Dog Days". But I was just going out on a limb adding that it was Dave's mother's maiden name. "Dog Days" is also the episode where Alvin blames Theo for the accidents while they are hiding a puppy that isn't house-trained yet. The one where Alvin tells him he will turn into a dog for accidentally eating dog biscuits is the 1980s cartoon episode "Theodore's Life As A Dog". I'm also going out on a limb about Brittany's gluten sensitivity, but why would she need to wear all that perfume? My sister, Molly, & I appreciate fart jokes like that. So no one can say that girls don't appreciate that kind of humor! Near the end of this chapter, when Eleanor is saying she doesn't know how she can drive Jeanette crazy, but "I guess it just shows how annoying I can be." That part was inspired by a friend from a small group at church, Anne, who said she and her husband (one of the church elders/shepherds, whatever you wanna call them) can drive each other crazy sometimes. Someone else in the group asked how that is even possible, since her husband is such a laid-back and easy-going guy. Anne said, "That just shows how annoying I can be." We all laughed in our small group. Before she said that, I thought she was up on a pedestal, all "saintly" & stuff, but she said that & I could see she was just one of us! Also, the line where Eleanor says "Me too! With you!" Is from the end of the 1997 movie "Romy And Michele's High School Reunion" (Lisa Kudrow & Mira Sorvino). I had always wondered the purpose of that teepee in the boys' bedroom of the Nick cartoon episodes, & especially why Theo seems to be most drawn to it. This story was going to be just one chapter, but it ended up longer than expected, so I'm breaking it into 4 chapters.


	2. What's In A Name?

**Ted's Teepee**

 **About This Story:** Theodore shares his teepee retreat with Eleanor while feeling left-out of other family activities. Age-wise they are 9. I don't own any part of the Chipmunk franchise, just borrowing them from Nickelodeon, Janice Karman,  & Ross Bagdasarian, their family, & their company.

 **About This Chapter:** Rated PG, some fart jokes continued, some mention of starvation abuse by Ian

 **Pairings:** Theodore/Eleanor

* * *

 **What's In A Name?**

Theodore tried to remember, "But how did we get to talking about this..."

"Oh, yeah," Eleanor remembered. "I think you were about to tell me your brothers' middle names."

Theodore took one more peek outside the tent to ensure they were alone. "Alvin's middle name is Michael, named for Dave's mother's father, I think." His eyes seemed to roll to the back of his head while concentrating to remember this information. "And since Simon is the oldest, he shares Dave's middle name, which was also Dave's father's name, Ross."

Eleanor nodded as she put it all together, counting with her fingers. "So, there's Alvin _Michael_ Seville, Simon _Ross_ Seville, David _Ross_ Seville, and you are Theodore _Jameson_ Seville. Got it."

"Yep. You got it." He nodded, then asked her, "Do you, or any of your sisters have middle names?"

"We actually do." She replied. "About the time Dave got custody of us from Ian, we had a Chipette conference and decided we 'needed' middle names for our Kindergarten graduation program. So we came up with our own middle names. Like you, I don't even remember who named me 'Eleanor', it's just always been my name. Our middle names also rhyme with each other's, which some may call 'sad' or 'weird', but we kinda think it's fun and it shows how close we are."

"So, you got to pick your own middle name?" He asked. "I'm a little bit jealous."

"Well, you got some of Dave's family names. So that makes _me_ a bit jealous." She smiled. "Anyways, when 'researching' some middle name ideas, Jeanette figured since I share a first name with a famous First Lady, who was married to Franklin Delano Roosevelt, she was thinking about derivatives of 'Franklin' for my middle name. And I was watching reruns of that nineties TV show, 'The Nanny', with Fran Drescher. Somehow from that, we got set on 'Francine' for my middle name."

"Ah," Theodore nodded, "So, it's Eleanor _Francine_..."

"Chipette." She finished. "Since we still aren't officially Sevilles. And we introduce ourselves as 'The Chipettes'... Brittany wanted to keep that as our last name, just so people don't think we're sisters to you guys. Maybe she hopes to someday hyphenate it as her maiden name once she gets married to one of you poor guys."

Theodore chuckled, "But you just know that her firstborn will be named 'Alvin Michael Seville, Junior'."

"And _she_ will probably be trouble, just like her dad!" Eleanor added, causing them to both laugh hysterically at the thought of Alvin's namesake being female. "She may even run away from home. But the good news is, there would be a pretty picture of her on a milk carton..."

"Yeah..." Theodore nodded. "We may also need to put her picture on packages of gluten-free items if she takes after her mom."

At this, Eleanor covered her mouth to muffle her laughter. "Oh, Theo, please don't tell Britt that I told you that story. OK?"

"Deal." Theodore shook her hand. "But you still haven't told me Brittany's or Jeanette's middle names."

"Right." She nodded. "Brittany used to like the name 'Charlotte', as in 'Charlotte's Web'. But since my middle name was picked first as 'Francine', Jeanette asked her, 'How do you feel about the name 'Charlene'?' And after a few seconds of thinking about it, Britt said, 'Yeah, I like it - Brittany Charlene Chipette.' And originally, Jeanette was telling us she wanted her own middle name to be 'Jeanine'. And Britt and I were like, 'Eww, really? 'Jeanette Jeanine Chipette'?' I mean, I already feel bad for her, getting the short end of the stick with 'Jeanette Chipette'. But we thought 'Jeanette Jeanine' sounded a little redundant, so we talked her out of 'Jeanine' for her middle name. I think Britt asked her, 'Well, what about 'Marlene'? Like Marlene Dietrich, the movie actress from the nineteen-twenties and thirties?' You know how Britt used to like - and still likes - Shirley Temple and those other vintage movies from that era. And Jeanette was like, 'Hmm...Jeanette Marlene Chipette, I like that.' I think it does add a nice break from the fact that her first and last names rhyme."

"Those are beautiful names." Theodore smiled. "You guys sure picked good ones. I don't think I would trust my brothers with naming ourselves, like that. I'm even a little worried about my brothers naming my future nieces and nephews. After that story, I'll let you and your sisters name any of our future kids, you know, if any."

"Hmm...that reminds me of a joke I heard." Eleanor chuckled. "There was a family expecting twin boys, but they were having such a hard time coming up with names for them. They finally made the decision to let the boys grow up and pick their own names. And now that the twins are in second grade, 'Spiderman' and 'Chewbacca' are the most popular kids in their class!"

"Ha! That's funny!" Theodore giggled. "Now I'm pretty sure my brothers weren't the ones who named me - or the ones who named themselves. That would've been a nightmare!" He paused and looked questioningly at her, "For some reason there was a time I thought your middle name was 'Belle" or maybe even "Isabelle" or "Annabelle", since I sometimes call you 'Ellie-Belle'. Do you remember how that got started?"

"Wow...I like it when you call me 'Ellie-Belle'." She smiled as she tried to remember. "But come to think of it, you're the only person who calls me that. It's like your own personal nickname for me. I remember about the same time, that I noticed Alvin was the only person who called you 'Teddy-Boy'. It just didn't mean the same when I tried calling you that. It even felt kinda wrong, like I was stealing Alvin's personal nickname for you. Remember that time in Kindergarten when my sisters and I first started sleeping over at your house? Well, I left a small teddy bear at your place, more on purpose, as an excuse to come back for more sleepovers. That, and I felt like he was safer and better off with you than at Ian's penthouse apartment, as were we all. Ian used to make fun of me for having a teddy bear in the first place, the big meanie."

Theodore nodded in agreement, smiling about the memory. "I thought of you every time I cuddled to sleep with that teddy bear, since you were the friend who gave him to me."

She continued. "Well...Ian actually assumed for weeks that we were sleeping over at the home of some other girl from our class, and we had been keeping our friendship with you and your brothers a secret from him. I complained to Ian that I just couldn't sleep without my 'Teddy Bear' so that he would let me sleep over again at our friend's home. Even though I could actually sleep better knowing you were giving that teddy bear a good home, I knew in my heart that I wasn't lying to Ian, since _you_ were actually the 'Teddy Bear' I couldn't sleep without. For a while 'Teddy Bear' was my nickname for you, but it still didn't feel original enough. So one day I remember thinking it would make you sound 'cooler' while preserving your sweet nature to shorten it to 'T-Bear'. Maybe after that, I convinced myself that your middle name was 'Bear', or something like that."

He chuckled, "Theodore _Bear_ Seville?"

"You're right, that sounds funny. I don't know how I convinced myself of that." She laughed before continuing. "And about the same time I started calling you 'T-Bear', Ian would often send me to school without a lunch as his way of 'punishing' me for..." She paused, lowering her voice to more of a whisper and patting her belly. "You know, not being as tall or as 'lean' as he _wanted_ me to be."

Theodore winced and added a very sympathetic nod, patting his own belly. "He did the same with me, I don't think he cared if anything happened to me or to Simon. Alvin was the only one of us who really mattered to him. Simon told me later that Ian's favoritism of Alvin was ironically as bad for Alvin as it was for us to be ignored. I mean, I was happy the way I was, Simon and Alvin loved me as I was, and Dave loved me as I was. Why couldn't Ian just accept me as I was?"

"Come to think of it," Eleanor interrupted, " _He_ didn't really have much room to talk!"

A hint of a satisfied smirk crossed Theodore's face as he threw his hands up. "Amen! Preach on, Sista' Ellie-Belle!"

She giggled, "But even though I would often go to school hungry, you and everyone else would share food with me. I think you even made up a little song about it back then, 'Ellie, Ellie, we'll fill your belly.' Then I would thank you by hugging you, and you would sing in the same tune, 'Ellie, Ellie, please rub my belly'."

"Oh yeah..." He smiled as the memory came back to him, "I would've called you 'Ellie-Belly', since it rhymed, but that nickname wasn't very flattering, so I shortened it to 'Ellie-Belle', since it highlights the princess that you are." He added a shy wink.

"Awww, Theo..." She beamed. "Even though the whole 'princess attitude' is more Brittany's thing than mine...you are so sweet!" She squeezed his hand.

"Also," he continued, "Since you like to cook, and you are very hospitable, showing people that good old-fashioned 'Southern Hospitality', it kinda makes me think of a 'Southern Belle' or something like that. 'Ellie-Belle' fits you in more ways than one."

"It sure does." She smiled. "I like having personal nicknames for each other like 'T-Bear' and 'Ellie-Belle'. I think it's so...would I be too cheesy if I said 'special'?"

"Not at all." Theodore put his right arm around her shoulders, pulling her into a hug. " _You_ are special to me, and this teepee is a 'judgement-free zone'. Simon calls it the 'Cone Of Silence' - which makes me think of ice cream, so I'm not complaining. He even said that 'What happens in the teepee stays in the teepee.' You know, except for Alvin's deadly gas leaks, which were _not_ silent and they did _not_ stay in the teepee, but filled the entire room."

Eleanor giggled, "Theo, it's funny how only _you_ can talk about gas humor while hugging me, and it still somehow makes me want to hug you back even more." She returned the one-armed hug by placing her left arm across his shoulders.

* * *

 **A/N:** Some credits for this chapter: "Cone Of Silence" is from the 1970s TV series "Get Smart" (I think). Jameson is Theodore's middle name, mentioned in the 2015 Nick cartoon series episodes "Lil' T"  & "Dog Days". I'm going out on a limb with everyone else's middle names, as well as origins for them, but of course the names are from Ross Bagdasarian (Sr & Jr) & Michael Bagdasarian (son of Ross Jr & Janice Karman). My sister Molly told me the "Spiderman & Chewbacca" joke, & I loved it! Them meeting in "Kindergarten"? An origin-type story that I still have yet to write (going out on a limb, again, but with some similarities to "The Squeakquel"). And also going out on a limb with Brittany's gluten sensitivity. Brittany's middle name being Charlene is from a character I've heard about from an earlier Chipmunk cartoon series, but I still have yet to see that episode, I just heard via the "chip-vine" that she was a "prototype" of the character for Brittany. And she started out wanting her middle name to be Charlotte from "Charlotte's Web", since she would've been too young to get into "Sex And The City". And I've been going by the Nick cartoon series "universe" that the girls' last name is "Chipette". I know it's traditionally been "Miller" in the 1980s cartoon series, but they aren't officially Sevilles & they don't live with Miss Miller (yet?), so I compromised. I like their personal nicknames for each other "T-Bear" & "Ellie-Belle", another limb for me. And I know there have been many questions & much controversy regarding the "age-order" of the Chipmunks & Chipettes. I went by the numbers on their soccer jerseys in the Nick cartoon episode "Mutiny" (1. Simon, 2. Jeanette, 3. Brittany, 4. Alvin, 5. Theodore, 6. Eleanor), since it seemed like the logical explanation as to why Alvin was #4 instead of #1. In the Nick cartoon episode "The Sub", there is more "confirmation" of age-order (at least that Simon is older than Alvin) when Alvin, in "teacher mode" is having a parent-teacher conference with Dave, & he says, "I see you have 3 kids, & you are not very nice to the middle one..."


	3. Starting A New Chapter

**Ted's Teepee**

 **About This Story:** Theodore shares his teepee retreat with Eleanor while feeling left-out of other family activities. Age-wise they are 9. I don't own any part of the Chipmunk franchise, just borrowing them from Nickelodeon, Janice Karman,  & Ross Bagdasarian, their family, & their company.

 **About This Chapter:** Rated G/PG, some gassy-humor  & romance

 **Pairings:** Theodore/Eleanor

* * *

 **Starting A New Chapter**

As she moved her right hand to try and include both arms in the hug, she inadvertently turned a few pages of the journal that was still in her lap. The sound of turning pages got her attention. She read the title of that entry aloud, " _My Family_." She paused and looked at Theodore before continuing, "Oh, is it OK with you if I read this?"

He smiled and shrugged, realizing if he let anyone read it, she would be his top choice anyway. "Go ahead. It looks like the book opened itself to you, so it has clearly chosen you as worthy of reading it. If you don't read it now, that will hurt its feelings. Who are we to argue with the book and hurt its feelings?" He motioned to the book and whispered mysteriously. "You have been chosen..."

Eleanor laughed watching him do an impression of a wise sage or a prophet in some fantasy adventure movie. She always liked how his sense of compassion even extended to inanimate objects like books, as well as stuffed animals and other toys. It reminded her of how her big sister Jeanette respected everything as a sacred entity and would often say, " _Fill-in-the-Blanks_ have feelings, too!" With a smile, Eleanor began to read Theodore's book.

" _My Family...My family is very special to me. When I'm with my family, I feel home. They care about me and accept me as I am. I never need to prove my worth or do anything to earn their love when I'm with them. Some people out there would only like me after I lost a pound or two, or grew a few inches, or if I acted cooler, but not my family. To them, I am a very much-loved son and brother, Theodore Jameson Seville._ " There was a sketch below his writing of their house surrounded by the outline of a heart.

"Awww..." Eleanor commented. "I guess I could've just turned some pages to find out what the 'J' stood for." She turned to see that he was reclining on a throw pillow he had set behind them, leaving room to share in case she wanted to join him. He even patted that part of the pillow closest to her as an invitation to her.

She accepted the offer, reclining next to him as he stretched his right arm around her shoulders. She rested her head on his shoulder and adjusted the book in her hands so that she could continue to read it. She turned the page.

" _Dave...Dave is the only dad I've ever known. He loves and cares for us so much that it's easy for me to forget that he's human and we're chipmunks. He lets me sleep in his bed whenever I have a nightmare. He gives great hugs, too! He's big and strong, and I feel so safe, secure, and happy with him. I love Dave! He's the best dad ever!_ " Theodore even drew a stick-figure drawing of Dave holding and hugging a stick-figure drawing of himself balled up in Dave's arms.

"Awww!" Eleanor glanced over at him. "That's so sweet!"

She turned the page. " _Simon...Simon is very trustworthy and responsible, and he's very smart. He's tall, and he wears glasses. He likes to study and read a lot, and he's good at helping me with my math or science homework. Sometimes he reads me bedtime stories. Sometimes he does magic tricks for us. He's good at keeping us out of trouble, or even getting us out of trouble once we get in it. He's also a great listener, and very understanding. He says he's not a hugger, but that's not true. He gives some great hugs! He's a great big brother!_ " The drawing was a stick-figure of Simon sitting on Theodore's bed reading a book to him.

Eleanor squealed as she turned another page. " _Alvin...Alvin is my other big brother. He's good at getting us into trouble. Sometimes he can be mean to me, but for every day he's mean to me, he's nice and fun to be around for weeks afterward. When he's nice to me, I have so much fun with him. He helps me practice soccer. He plays video games with me. He likes to call me 'Teddy-Boy'. Sometimes he likes to sneak up on me, then wrestle me to the ground and tickle me. But I like to do it right back to him. He teaches me some good jokes and pranks. He's also good at protecting me from mean bullies at school. He can be a fun big brother when he wants to be! And he gives great hugs!_ " The drawing this time had Alvin jumping onto Theodore from a corner where he was hiding, in order to "wrestle him to the ground and tickle him."

Eleanor laughed as she turned the page. " _Me...I'm Theodore. I like ice cream and cookies. I like to cook. I like the color green because it's the color of plants and grass in the summer time on a warm and sunny day. I also like teddy bears. That's one way I got the nickname 'Teddy-Boy', 'Teddy Bear' or 'T-Bear'. I like acting in my theater class, where I can pretend to be anyone I want to be._ Me encanta mi clase de Español a la escuela. _(That means, "I love my Spanish class at the school.") And I like to give and get hugs!_ " The drawing had Theodore snuggling with his teddy bear.

"Awww..." Eleanor commented. "The pictures here are definitely worth a thousand words, as the saying goes."

"Thanks, I guess." He chuckled.

She turned the page. " _The Girls...The Chipettes are also part of our family. They are very understanding and fun to be around. It's like having sisters as well as brothers. I like it when they get to play with us and do stuff with us. And yes, they also give great hugs!_ " The drawing had the three sisters all in a line, holding hands, with Eleanor in the middle.

Theodore spoke up, "Eleanor, I would totally understand if you were too bored to continue reading..." He started having second thoughts about her reading the book, but he wanted to be more subtle about it.

"Not at all!" She smiled at him. "I'm having a good time. I hope it's OK with you if I keep reading. The book still wants me to read it."

"OK," He shrugged. How could he argue with that? It was his original line to encourage her to read it in the first place.

Eleanor turned a page. " _Jeanette...Jeanette is kinda shy like me, but she's taller and wears glasses, like Simon. She's a great listener, too. She likes to take me to see movies like "Harry Potter", "Lord Of The Rings", "The Hobbit" and "Star Wars". I feel like she's my big sister sometimes. And when I hang out with her, it doesn't feel like she's babysitting me, but that she's having a great time hanging out with me. She can also help me with my homework. She gives such warm, friendly hugs!_ " The picture he drew had a stick-figure drawing of Jeanette in her purple wizard's hat with her magic wand in hand, next to a drawing of himself wearing his dwarf costume, complete with hat and beard.

Eleanor laughed. "That is spot-on Jeanette! She's like that with me, too." She turned the page. " _Brittany...Brittany is nice to me. Sometimes it feels like she's babysitting me when she hangs out with me, but she can be a lot of fun. I think of her as my other big sister. She knows just what to wear for every occasion. I like for her to pick my clothes for our concerts or the first day of school, since she knows a lot about stuff like that. She also knows how to do hair, and I've even let her give me a haircut before. She's taught me some dance moves. Sometimes she cries, because Alvin did or said something mean to her, but she tells me that my hugs cheer her up. She gives nice hugs, too!_ " The drawing had Theodore in front of a full-length mirror, wearing a snazzy-looking three-piece suit and a green bow-tie, with Brittany behind him giving him a thumbs-up.

"Way to see the good in her, Theo!" Eleanor smiled.

"After our earlier conversation," he began with a chuckle, "I might wanna add that she wears a lot of perfume and has to eat gluten-free snack foods."

"No, don't add anything to it." Eleanor pleaded. "I like it the way it is. And I like to know that you can cheer her up after Alvin does or says something mean to her. That way Jeanette and I don't have to deal with an upset, moody, or depressed Brittany that night. So thank you, Theo, I really appreciate what you've been doing to make my sister feel better. She does speak highly of you."

"Sure." He beamed. "Even though Alvin seems to like making her cry, I don't like to see her - or anyone else - cry like that. I don't know how Alvin can make her cry or even watch her cry. I tell him he's just suppressing his real feelings, which of course is not healthy. Sometimes, it even makes _him_ cry after he makes Brittany cry. I once even said to him after they had an argument that even made _him_ cry, 'I thought you liked Brittany.' His eyes went super-big, and he looked like he might get mad, so I added, 'As a friend. And I didn't think friends should be mean to each other like that.' He was like, 'You're right, Teddy-Boy.' Then he went off to apologize to her. Alvin and Brittany can be so complicated sometimes! I never know if they are breaking up or making up, even as friends."

"Yeah," She sighed, "They act like an old married couple who can't decide whether they wanna work things out or get a divorce." Her eyes perked up, and she sat up and glanced around through the opening of the teepee to ensure they were alone. "Oh, that reminds me of something..." She started whispering and being secretive. "I think Brittany _does_ like Alvin, and maybe even in a 'more-than-just-friends' way. As much as she likes to complain about what a jerk Alvin is to her, I think she actually has a relationship with him, and may even be secretly married to him."

"Whaaaat?...!" Theodore exclaimed as he sat up. "How is that possible if we're only nine?"

"Oh, my bad..." Eleanor slapped her forehead. "Sorry, I just had a blonde moment or a brain fart - their avatars are engaged or maybe even married by now on the online game 'Renaissance Faire Life'. Jeanette and I once walked in while she was playing. First of all, we didn't even know Britt had an online gaming addiction. And second, we didn't know she liked Alvin as any more than just a friend. We were like, 'Is that Alvin, your avatar's husband?' She was like, 'Who else would pick a red knight avatar with gold lettering named 'SirAlvinAwesomeness'? And technically we are 'betrothed' in this world. I'm sort of test-driving a relationship with Alvin just to see how things go in this virtual world. I'd like to stay anonymous during this phase of our relationship, at least to him for now. But I'll so go medieval on either of you if you tell Alvin that I'm his online lady-fair, 'PrincessCharlene'.' So Jeanette and I were like, 'OK.' So please don't tell Alvin, or tell Britt that I told you. OK, Theo?"

Theodore's eyes went wide as he put together the information. "'PrincessCharlene' is Brittany? I guess that makes sense, now that you told me her middle name. Isn't she wearing - or isn't her avatar wearing - a red shiny long dress?"

"Yep, that's Britt, AKA - PrincessCharlene!" She nodded.

"Now that you mention it, that avatar character does look a lot like Brittany, only in red instead of pink." Theo nodded.

"She thought she'd be too obvious if her avatar were dressed in pink." She explained. "And she knows Alvin likes red."

"But don't worry, Ellie-Belle," He began, "I won't tell Alvin or Brittany that you shared this with me. And while we're keeping secrets, please don't tell anyone about this book that you're reading, either." To emphasize his point, he held up his right hand, where all the fingers were tucked under the thumb except for his pinky, which was out.

"Thank you, T-Bear! You're the best! I'll keep your secret, too." She held out her hand in the same manner, allowing her pinky finger to latch onto his for a quick shaking.

When they finished their "pinky-swear" handshake, Eleanor picked up the book where she left off, since it was resting next to her. "This may change things once I find out how you _really_ feel about me." She added with a giggle. The page was still on "Brittany", so she took a deep breath and turned the page.

" _Eleanor...Eleanor is my best friend in the entire world. She's the only little sibling that I have, since she's the youngest in our whole family. But she doesn't feel so much like a little sister as she does like a twin sister. She gets me and completes me on a level no one else does. She's very understanding, and a good listener, much like her sisters. She also likes green, and her eyes are green like the ocean on a tropical island getaway. We met in Kindergarten, and we made friends even when her manager Ian didn't want us to be friends. It was almost like a 'Romeo And Juliet' situation, only we didn't elope just to tragically die in the end. Who knows? I may want to marry her and have some kids with her one of these days, but today I'm content to just enjoy being best friends with her. I remember reading some funny Irish saying on a baby girl's shirt one time that said, 'Though she be little, she be fierce!' That reminds me of Eleanor - not just because the shirt was a green color for St Patrick's Day. Sometimes she can be sweet and comforting to me like the mom I never knew. But then she can turn around and tear the bullies to pieces who are being mean to me, or any of us. She also likes to cook, and I like to cook with her. And she also helps me practice my soccer, since she's a great athlete, and an encouraging coach. She will say that she's what the girls call a tomboy, but somehow she can look cute doing those tough tomboy things, and I still think she looks really pretty, I would even call her beautiful, but I'm kinda shy to say that to her face - or to any girl, really. Especially that I love her and would like to try being more than just friends with her, but I'm afraid she might not want that, and I don't want to lose her as a friend. So I would be OK with being friends. Sometimes I can't even decide if she's the girl I'd like to date, or the friend I would like to see after the date who wants to know all the details of how the date went. Sometimes she likes to call me 'T-Bear', or even 'Theodore-able'. She is and will always be my Ellie-Belle! She also understands what it's like to be shorter, and we give each other a boost and help each other reach stuff when we cook together. I think we make a great team! Despite her small size, and her status as the youngest in our family, she doesn't let that stop her spunkiness. She has a way of caring for everyone, almost like a mom. And she sees the positive in everything, and the good in everyone. She is probably the sweetest person I know, and one of my best friends in the entire world! She even gives awesome hugs!_ " The drawing had the two of them holding hands, and a few hearts were floating around them.

"Oh, Theodore!" At this point, Eleanor was even wiping away a few happy tears from her eyes.

"I had already forgotten some of those things I wrote about you..." Theodore slightly blushed.

She turned to face him. "That was just beautiful!" She wrapped her arms around his neck and shoulders. "I love you, too, Theodore Jameson. My T-Bear!" She pecked a small kiss on his cheek.

"Really?" He smiled at her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and upper and mid-back. "I love you, Eleanor Francine. My Ellie-Belle!" He started feeling braver, so he took a brief moment to look into her aqua-green eyes, then he closed his eyes and returned the kiss, but on her lips. She squealed with delight and kissed him back.

A knock at the bedroom door broke them from their trance. As the door swung open, they could hear Jeanette's voice. "Theo? Ellie? Are you guys in here?"

Eleanor handed the journal back to Theodore, and started unfastening some of the clothespins. "We're in here, Jeanette." She said casually.

When the opening was big enough for her to see inside the teepee, Jeanette asked, "What are you guys doing in here?"

"Just playing around, coloring, exchanging recipes, and stuff." Theodore shrugged. The whole time, he was thinking, " _OK, acting skills, don't fail me now! I think Jeanette is buying it!_ "

Eleanor nodded in agreement. "So, what brings you up here, Jeanette?"

"I just wanted to let you know that Dave almost has dinner ready." She replied. "Everyone else is wrapping up their game. You should see it, though, Brittany is actually kicking Alvin's tail on this video game!"

"I'd like to see that!" Theodore stood up, then turned around to help Eleanor stand up.

"I sure hope we haven't missed anything." Jeanette chuckled as she turned to leave the room and go back downstairs, with the two little ones following close behind her.

About the time they reached the stairs, Eleanor patted Theodore on the shoulder and whispered to him. "Wow, Theo, you are quite the thespian!" She even allowed her hand to fall next to his so that they could hold hands.

He smiled at her. "Thanks! And you tasted good, too."

"Whaaat?...!" She squeaked almost loud enough for Jeanette to hear, while slightly blushing. "Thanks, and you're welcome. And you were delicious, yourself."

He giggled as he squeezed her hand.

Thankfully, Jeanette was too focused on the sounds of the video game coming from the living room to notice their conversation. It wasn't long after the three of them entered the living room that they witnessed Brittany's victory.

* * *

 **A/N:** Yet another chapter where Brittany's gluten-sensitivity is mentioned, just going out on a limb with that. Not that I buy into the notion that switching to "gluten-free everything" will solve all problems for anyone. Also, I got the idea for Charlene as her middle name from a character I heard about thru the "Chip-vine" who was her prototype (in an old cartoon episode I still haven't seen yet),  & now she's using this middle name as an alter-ego avatar of herself. Yeah, another limb I'm climbing for fun. Also I made up the game "Renaissance Faire Life", I was originally going to just have it be "Second Life", but that's already taken. "Renaissance Faire Life" is kind of a nod to the 2015 Nick cartoon episode "Mystic Mountain", where Alvin's avatar is "AlvirianKingOfTheSkies". Brittany having an online gaming addiction is inspired by the "Big Bang Theory" episode where Sheldon gets Penny addicted to "Age Of Conan". As much as I love and admire the innocent, child-like simplicity of Theo & Ellie's relationship (& the "just friends" or "more-than-just-friends" baggage that comes with it), I also have fun exploring the complexities of the love-hate rivalry relationship between frenemies like Alvin & Brittany. I went out on another limb with the "T-Bear" & "Ellie-Belle" nicknames, while she calls him "Theodore-able" (or "The-Adorable") in "The Road Chip". And from a late-1980s or early-1990s movie called "Broadcast News", I heard the line about a guy who can't decide if a certain girl is the one this guy wants to date, or the one he wants to see after the date to ask for details of the date. The Irish saying on the baby girl's shirt, I know I've seen in various catalogues.


	4. Level Up!

**Ted's Teepee**

 **About This Story:** Theodore shares his teepee retreat with Eleanor while feeling left-out of other family activities. Age-wise they are 9. I don't own any part of the Chipmunk franchise, just borrowing them from Nickelodeon, Janice Karman,  & Ross Bagdasarian, their family, & their company.

 **About This Chapter:** Rated PG, for Alvin's suggestive sense of humor, gas humor, romance

 **Pairings:** Theodore/Eleanor

* * *

 **Level Up!**

"And that's how it's done!" Brittany exclaimed as she pressed a button, blowing Alvin's avatar into oblivion and winning the game. She even proceeded to do a victory dance.

Alvin was too dumbfounded to respond. "Since when are you that good at video games, Britt?"

"Since I was born - naturally better than you in every way." She continued to shake her tail so that it occasionally slapped him in his face.

"I would argue otherwise," Alvin began, as he watched her victory dance with a slight smirk on his face. "But I'm too busy enjoying my 'consolation prize'." He laughed as she stopped dancing to glare at him.

Dave called from the kitchen, "OK, kids, dinner's ready."

Everyone headed into the dining room. Dave took his usual spot at the head of the table. To his left sat Brittany, Jeanette, and Simon. On his right sat Alvin, Eleanor, and Theodore. On the table were some platters containing spaghetti with mushroom and marinara sauce, salad, and garlic bread. The family started passing platters around and filling up plates.

When Dave had the basket of garlic bread in his hands, he offered some to Brittany, "Brittany, would you like any garlic bread?"

"Is it gluten-free?" She asked.

"Uh..." Dave began, "Sorry, I don't think so. I forgot about that."

"That's OK." Brittany smiled up at him. "I'll take a little, anyway."

Theodore leaned over and whispered to Eleanor, "I would totally understand if you wanted to sleep over at our house tonight."

She smiled at him, "And leave Jeanette with her? That's OK, I'll be fine. Just leave us some extra air freshener and some simethicone, and we'll be OK. Thanks, though."

Dave asked his young charges, "Does anyone have any highlights of the day they would like to share?"

"I just kicked Alvin's butt at that zombie apocalypse video game!" Brittany pointed her fingers into the air as if shooting off little guns in an alternating fashion.

"Well, good for you, Brittany!" Dave congratulated.

Alvin stuck his tongue out at her. "Earlier today, I killed a dragon on 'Renaissance Faire Life', then went out on a hot date - or as they say in the game, I 'went a-courting' - with my 'lady-fair', who is this hot babe."

Eleanor and Theodore shared a brief sideways glance at each other, but continued eating. They also kept a casual eye on Brittany, who also kept eating, but they could tell she was listening intently to Alvin's description.

"That's nice, Alvin." Dave smiled, then had a slightly worried expression. "I hope you kept your date 'PG', since you're only nine years old, and the public is watching you, and I don't want you to get into any trouble online that I can't get you out of."

"Relax, David Dear." Alvin tossed a cherry tomato from the salad into the air and caught it in his mouth. "We're only 'betrothed' for now, so of course things stayed at the 'PG-level'. But I can't promise the same when we go on our honeymoon!"

Dave glared at his son. "Alvinnn..."

Alvin acted like he was ignoring his father, tossing another cherry tomato into the air.

Dave intercepted the airborne cherry tomato. "Alvin, manners. Use your fork, young man."

Alvin sunk back into his seat. "Yes, Dave." But then he perked up. "But great catch, Dave! Your reflexes are improving!"

Dave rolled his eyes, but smiled at him. "Thanks. Being around you has definitely taught me to keep on my toes." He looked around the table. "Would anyone else like to share?"

Jeanette spoke up, "Simon showed me a neat experiment he's working on in the basement."

"Really, what kind of experiment?" Dave asked.

"Oh, it's basically a small robot that can carry stuff as it goes up and down the stairs." Simon explained. "So far, it has been successful at carrying up to fifty pounds."

"That sounds neat, and helpful, Simon." Dave commented.

"I hope you and Jeanette used 'protection' on your hot date!" Alvin laughed.

"Alvinnn..." Dave glared at him again.

"Well, we did use goggles, gloves, and aprons for some of the work." Jeanette explained casually without picking up on Alvin's obscure meaning of the word 'protection'.

Simon rolled his eyes at Alvin's comment. He turned to Jeanette to explain, "I apologize if my brother is making you uncomfortable with his dirty word-play."

Jeanette paused as the double-meaning of the word-play became apparent to her. "Oh, ohhh..." She gave Alvin her best intimidating glare, which still wouldn't scare a fly. "Alvin, you sick, sick munk!"

Alvin just laughed at Jeanette's attempt to be intimidating.

Simon circled their conversation back to a more table-friendly and family-friendly level. "We just wanted to do something else while a certain _someone_ was hogging the video game..." He briefly glared at Alvin "...And while _someone else_ was rightfully kicking his derrière for it." He smiled over at Brittany, who beamed in return.

"Video games aren't exactly my thing." Jeanette explained. "Alvin has tried to show me a few moves once in a while, but the lessons just don't stick with me, so he has to show me every time as if it's my first time. But I enjoy watching him and Simon, or him and Brittany play. And I had a great time today with Simon. Thanks for trying to teach me to play, Alvin, you know, again, for the twenty-third time."

"No problem, Jeanette." Alvin smiled. "Even though I can't seem to teach you anything, it's still kind of fun."

"So, Eleanor, what did you and Theodore do all afternoon?" Dave asked. "The two of you have sure been quiet tonight."

Both of them froze for a moment and glanced at each other.

"Oh," Eleanor began, "Theo showed me the teepee he fixed up in his room, and we read books in there, you know, coloring books and cookbooks, chillin' and relaxin', stuff like that."

"Yeah, it was fun!" Theodore nodded in agreement.

"I'm glad to hear that!" Dave smiled.

Alvin laughed. "Well, Theo, I sure hope that teepee has aired out since that time you farted in it and it stunk up the whole room!"

"Nah-uh, that was you, Alvin." Theodore rolled his eyes.

Dave glared at Alvin again. "Boys - especially you, Alvin - not at the dinner table."

"Yes, Dave." Alvin and Theodore agreed simultaneously.

"Anyway..." Eleanor continued, "Even though Theo and I have been best friends since Kindergarten, I had a great time this afternoon getting to see his more creative side. It was like getting to know him even better than before."

Alvin giggled. "Whoa! I never thought I'd have to tell you guys to use 'protection', too. Bravo, Teddy-Boy!"

"That's it, Alvin!" Dave chastised. "Unless you want to be grounded this weekend, there'll be no more talking from you for the rest of dinner, and no dessert for you, but you still have to stay until the rest of us are finished eating dessert. Is that clear, young man?"

Alvin nodded obediently as he pretended to zip his lips. Dinner and dessert continued peacefully after that.

When the family finished eating, the girls started to head back to their treehouse for the night. Brittany and Jeanette went inside first. Eleanor was about thirty feet behind them. Theodore decided to walk Eleanor home, mostly for company, since it was just across the yard.

"Theodore," she began, "I had a wonderful time with you today. I know we've been best friends since Kindergarten, but I liked getting to know a different side of you. It was kinda nice to know that there can still be more to learn about you, and more fun ways to get to know each other. And I hope I didn't reveal any confidential information about you over dinner. Did I?"

"Not at all, Eleanor." He smiled. "Likewise, I used to think I had you all figured out, but it was neat to learn a lot about you today that I didn't know before."

"Oh yeah, like what?" She giggled, even though she already knew some possible answers.

He chuckled, taking her hand. "Like our middle names, that we can both enjoy tastefully-told fart jokes, how we both feel about our older siblings and the quirky things they do, and that you're a good kisser and taste better than Oreo cookies."

She covered her mouth with her other hand to muffle some laughter, slightly blushing at the last comment. "Yeah, I always knew you were an awesome hugger, but now I know that you're also quite the kisser, too. In light of something you wrote in the book about not being sure if you wanted me to be the girl you dated or the friend you talked to after the date, let me tell you about this amazing and sweet guy who kissed me this afternoon - oh, wait - that was you!"

They both shared a laugh.

Theodore sighed, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. "So, Eleanor, I can't help but be curious to know - how do you feel about being 'more-than-just-friends'?"

"Well, now that you mention it..." She tilted her head to the side and nervously scuffled her foot along the ground. "I don't think..."

His heart started to sink at those words.

She continued, "...That two people who were 'just-friends' would share a kiss that incredible!"

His spirits perked up once he heard the rest of her sentence. He smiled, "Just so you know, those last few seconds were the longest of my life, so far."

"Sorry about the suspense, Theo." She patted his shoulder. "Sure, I'd be happy if someday we got married and had a family, where we could sit down with our kids and tell them the story of how we met, but for now we're only nine, and I'm content to take things slow. If we move too fast, I'd be afraid the relationship would flame out, and not only would I lose a great relationship with a great guy, but I would also lose my best friend."

"And I love you too much to ever wanna lose you as _my_ best friend." He put his arm around her shoulders, his big puppy-brown eyes looking into her aqua-green ones. "Oh, Eleanor, our friendship and relationship means too much to me to want to just...nuke it in the microwave a few seconds. It's more like making artisan bread, in that you have to let it rise, and take your time with cooking it."

She giggled, but gave a satisfied nod. "Well said, Theo, and great use of a cooking analogy."

"ELEANOR! Are you planning on coming inside sometime tonight?" Brittany impatiently called from the doorway of the treehouse to where they were still standing down below at the foot of the stairs.

"Yeah, I'm coming, Britt! Sorry to keep you waiting up for me, Mother Dearest." Eleanor sarcastically called up to her sister.

Brittany just rolled her eyes and groaned as she headed back inside.

Eleanor and Theodore both rolled their eyes and nodded at each other. "It's the gluten." They said simultaneously.

"I can't think why else she would be all moody like that, since Alvin couldn't talk for most of the night, so it couldn't have been something mean he said to her. Plus, she was in a good mood after beating him at the video game." Eleanor chuckled.

"Well, I'd hate to keep you out any longer..." Theodore began. "Especially for Jeanette's sake."

"Yeah, I know." Eleanor looked sad at having to leave him even for the night, even though he would be sleeping within thirty yards of the treehouse, which was still quite a distance in "chipmunk miles". She wrapped her arms around his neck and shoulders in a warm hug. "Goodnight, Theodore Jameson. I love you, T-Bear!"

His arms wrapped around her mid-back. "Goodnight, Eleanor Francine. I love you, Ellie-Belle!"

They gave each other a quick peck of a kiss on the cheek, in case anyone else was still watching them, before Eleanor headed up the stairs of the treehouse. She turned around before opening the front door to see that Theodore had ran back to his front door.

He stopped when he reached the door briefly to turn and wave at her. She waved back, blowing him a kiss. He pretended to catch it before blowing a kiss back to her and heading inside. She smiled and happily squealed to herself as she went inside the treehouse to join her older sisters for bed.

* * *

THE END

* * *

 **A/N:** More of Brittany's gluten-sensitivity, still going out on a limb with everyone else's middle names (other than Theodore's). The guy who can't decide if he wants her to be "the girl he dated or the friend he talked to after the date" is from the late-80s  & early-90s movie "Broadcast News". The part where Eleanor says "let me tell you about this guy who kissed me this afternoon - oh, wait - that was you!" Is a nod to an episode of "Friends" ("The One That Could Have Been", or something like that), where Chandler says something similar to Monica. And Alvin sure likes to push Dave's patience. Poor Dave must lose track of when Alvin is grounded, & must be bored with always grounding him (well, "bored" is kind of a strong word), so I thought he might like to be a little more creative with discipline (he is, after all, a song-writer). And since they still love each other, I wanted to see more than just yelling and grounding. Sometimes I don't know whether to call Child (or Chipmunk?) Protective Services or Parent Protective Services!


End file.
